Terry Branstad Ambassador to China Good Choice!

Six Term Iowa Governor Terry Branstad [R] Appointed U.S. Ambassador to China.

Branstad is considered a longtime friend of China. He is a great choice. Yet, Trump has somewhat confused Americans about his diversity of proclivities concerning his cabinet choices.

On one hand, he appoints an old time insider, Elaine Choa [born In Taiwan], former Secretary of Labor, to the exalted role of Secretary of Transportation.Despite her innate talents, Ms. Choa is also married to the US Senate Majority Leader, Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. Such a marital union could serve as an effective conduit for the passage of massive infrastructure legislation/ budget allocations.

From my POV, Trump’s most impressive appointment so far is that ‘old friend of China’, Iowa Governor, Terry Branstad [R], to become our new ambassador to China at a time when our relations are somewhat turbulent. For Chinese, the designation ‘old friend’ connotes a person who has been involved for many years with the Chinese people at every level of commerce or cultural exchanges.

“Terry Branstad, the Iowa governor who has long embraced China as a market for his state’s pork and soybean….”

“It’s a good pick because he [Terry] knows President Xi, he can represent the heartland of the USA… and the fact that President Xi has been in his state twice is very positive thing…It creates a personal relationship that is very hard to replace.” [Robert Hormats, Vice Pres. Kissinger Assoc.].

The Chinese word for personal relations is ‘quanxi’ pronounced ‘guanchi’. It means that there is a relationship between two people which transcends the boundaries of a formal commercial/introductory relationship. In Terry, Trump picked an ex-US Army Military Police who had first met a 31 year old official from rural Hebei Province, name Mr. Xi and then befriended him.

“Mr. Xi has fondly recalled his time in Iowa. He stayed in Muscatine, a small city in eastern part of the state, where he was hosted by a couple and slept in their boy’s vacated bedroom, filled with “Star Trek” action figures…

“You can’t imagine what a deep impression I[Xi] had from my visit 27 years ago to Muscatine, because you [Iowans] were the first group of Americans that I came into contact with… For me you [Iowans] are America.”

When I said that all of politics is about people and their feelings, I wasn’t kidding.Trump and his prescient transition team really scored a major success with this mild mannered, softspoken Iowan Governor, Terry Branstad.

I would like to end this blog with a Chinese proverb:

kai tian pi di [pronounced key tien pee dee]

Literal meaning: open heaven break the earth.

Idiomatic meaning: advance by leaps and bounds; take giant strides; make superhuman effort.

Makes me think of those Mao-era strivers making the “class struggle face”.

I don’t know many Chinese proverbs, but here’s a telling one:
” 指鹿為馬 [zhi lu wei ma]”: “point deer make horse”.link, which is sort of like “the Emperor’s new clothes”, but since it is China, everybody gets executed.

The Chen Sheng rebellion had started, and the empire was having trouble suppressing it. The Emperor blamed Zhao Gao for the mess and he had a point. But Zhao Gao didn’t like that. He started to think that maybe they should have a change of emperor, but he couldn’t be sure he could pull it off.

So Zhao Gao brings a deer into the palace. Grabs it from the horns, calls the emperor to come out, and says “look your majesty, a brought you a fine horse”. The Emperor, not amused, says “Surely you are mistaken, calling a deer a horse. Right?”. Then the emperor looks around at all the ministers. Some didn’t say a word, just sweating nervously. Some others loudly proclaimed what a fine horse this was. Great horse. Look at this tail! These fine legs. Great horse, naturally prime minister Zhao Gao has the best of tastes.

A small bunch did protest that this was a deer, not a horse. Those were soon after summarily executed. And the Second Emperor himself was murdered some time later.

Nation state is too strong invention of capitalism. Too strong. If you do not like your own, you will start to like it because of others from other nations who dislike their nations little less then you dislike your own.

Dr. Steve,
Are you and your cohorts behind the propaganda that is being released regarding the top-level of the Russian government directing the hacking the DNC, John Podesta, etc?
If not, please explain who is behind this, if it is another example of an attempted counter-counter coup,
Please elaborate.

It would be very interesting to know the back story behind this Russian hacking info that is being pushed on the public.

Maybe I’d be the worst CIA agent but to think Dr. P and his cohorts are behind this doesn’t make sense. He has called the CIA, Catholics in Action and not with affection and released a video(s) to America on the most disgusting contents (as far as we know) of the Podesta emails regarding pedophilia (etc) right before the election. He’s been on Infowars giving his insights into the Clintons and they haven’t been positive. So if Dr. P and his cohorts are doing some twisted triple counter coup promoting the Russian hacking of the elections…well I don’t see it. Everything I’ve seen has been either pro-Trump or simply insights on people being considered for his cabinet. The propaganda being disseminated in the news is astounding. Take the “fake news” story line for instance. They have Brian Williams, the “poster boy of fake news” front and center trying to sell America on this. Those of us that have been paying attention are blown away by this BS, however, the average American who gets their news from headlines or the MSM will probably buy into it.

I believe, if they don’t get their results from the “fake news” and “Russian election hacking” propaganda on Dec 19th when the Electoral College votes, then the “soft coup” may move to a strategy of a “hard coup” which I do not want to imagine. Something tells me the Podesta email story is sitting on the side smoldering until Jan 20th when Trump takes office and his administration starts down that rabbit hole. My gut also tells me this is a rabbit hole that could expose more than we can imagine encompassing many well known people here and abroad. Yeah, I know I sound like a conspiracy nut but these things have happened before (Jimmy Savile).

And magically after the “17 intelligence services agree” bullcrap was actually narrowed down to very wispy-washy statements by the DHS and Alexander, last Friday, here comes Lindsay Graham and John McCain to give right cover to the same story that has already been refuted. The story hasn’t changed.
Now, if they have new evidence and would like to present it for public review then I am all ears. This is all about the electoral college vote which you alluded to Berker. Of course, there are those who desire to overturn the will of the electorate. But, they would accept a weakened Trump if they have to settle for that. The point is to attempt to make the public perception that Trump,has no mandate. The point of the ‘popular vote’ argument is for the same purpose.
And Berker, Inhave worried about what you are referring to at the end of your comment for a while. I am not certain this country could be held together if that were to happen.

I don’t know if it’s just me or if everyone else encountering issues with your site.
It looks like some of the written text in your content are running off the screen. Can somebody else please provide feedback and let me
know if this is happening to them as well?
This might be a problem with my browser because I’ve had this happen previously.
Thank you

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